


Condemned and Tender

by artimess_chimes



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artimess_chimes/pseuds/artimess_chimes
Summary: Catra is just one of many assassins hired by Emperor Hordak to kill the rebellious group that is advocating for the immigrant Etherians citizenship, who are denied this for the use of blasphemous magic. In particular, Catra needs to kill the woman who rallies all the rebels behind her blessed persona. But when confronted face to face, Catra saves her instead. Now Catra is injured and on the wrong side of the conflict. Will Catra fulfill her assassination contract and reap her reward, or will she be captivated by the beautiful Shera?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First She-ra and POP fic. Im just making up the world. Just writing for my own fun, couldnt find any other fics like this.

The air was heavy and still. Storm clouds threatened on the horizon, and Catra was twitching with anticipation. 

The other assassins milled about her, varying kinds of deformed and demented. Bloodlust and boredom tinged the air. 

They had all been hired by the Emperor. He needed someone killed, and killed very dead, if the quantity of killers in the room was anything to go by. 

Assassins were mainly made mean, but not by trade. Those who walked this darker path were usually set on it by birth. There were theories and superstitions as to why some children are born beastly. Fur here, scales there, a tail, a tooth, a claw. Some say its payment for sins of the mother, others say its the pollution. All Catra knew was that it was ugly, and could sure make a room smell bad. 

She went over to the window and looked down on the little tavern that they were targeting. 

Apparently, inside there was a meeting of a little group of insurrectionists who were planning on trying to infiltrate the city. They wanted citizenship and rights for the Etherians who lived in the forest. 

Unfortunately for them, Etherians were not allowed within the Horde Empire borders. 

Catra leaned on her left hand and impatiently drummed her claws on the wooden windowsill. Her companions were busy trying to silently intimidate each other and she cast a wry eye over the sorry lot. 

Catra didn't much care for the political motivations of the hit. Actually, Catra didn't much care for much. She had never been a good fit with polite society and she certainly looked the part of a criminal. Fangs, claws, and fur, she looked like a cat from the tips of her triangular ears to the end of her twirling tail. She had a lithe, athletic build and an aloof, nonplussed attitude. 

The attitude was not her fault and mostly acted as a defensive maneuver, but nonetheless she found herself rolling her eyes. 

Catra was ready for action. 

A couple demanding immigrants were of no concern to the Emperor. But lately, the Etherians little movement had started to gain momentum thanks to the apparent blessing- by sky angels- of one of their members. People were rallying behind this chosen, golden person and the Emperor just couldn't have that. 

So, she and quite a few others had been hired by His Horde Holiness to stick something sharp in between those blessed, blasphemous ribs. 

So here Catra was, waiting with silver daggers, watching the dark and stormy dusk turn the night thunderous. 

Just as Catra was getting antsy enough to think about walking along the roof, the tavern door opened and spilled creamy orange light in rectangular patches across the lurking dark. Out walked a group of 8 cloaked figures, and Catra smirked. 

These were her targets, and despite their desire to be secretive, safety in numbers gave them away. 

The others had already noticed, slithering and slipping away in various animal ways. 

Catra joined them, tumbling out the window with feline grace, flanking the group as they moved along the ground by hopping from rooftop to rooftop. 

The pursuit was silent, and assuredly deadly, but Catra thought something smelled fishy. The group was too quiet, too focused. There was no amicable chatter or preoccupation as they walked along and it rankled Catra's suspicions. 

No sooner had Catra begun to close in when a shout echoed off the tin of the houses, and all the cloaked figures threw off their garments. 

They all wore bright, color-filled clothing, something that would mark them as Etherian immediately. But more importantly, they sparkled with tell-tale signs of magic, the dangerous and deceptive skill for which their people are barred. 

Catra charged, her killer companions already engaging in combat, weapons raised. 

But before Catra could get close enough to make use of her glinting blades, from the middle of the group arose a towering woman made of golden fire. She was beautiful in a terrifying way, long hair rising into the sky like a flame, appearing to flicker with the wind from the incoming storm. Catra could not see for all the brightness cast off, and she felt welded to the spot by the heat. 

The woman swiped her arm out in an arc, winding half of Catra's fellow stunned assassins with a single, sweltering blow. 

It began to rain, and the water hissed into steam where it splattered on the golden woman's flushed skin. 

The woman's eyes were glinting with determination, and Catra felt burned by the directness of it, and the purity. 

Catras' companions were laying in unconscious heaps. The group was celebrating the defeat among themselves. 

The golden woman smiled. 

So, that is what it is to be blessed thought Catra, as she heard the warning whistle of an arrow flying loose threw the air. 

The arrow thunked in the ground next to her. It came from behind her, directed toward the group of Etherians. The Emperor's military,coming to clean up the mess that should be left behind. 

Watching the woman's wavering light, Catra sighed and sheathed her knives. She ran up to the group, who were immediately on guard. 

"Look, you need to get out of here." She said, looking directly into the shimmering eyes of the sun. "You can't just stand around here patting your back, the whole damn Horde wants your glowing head-" Catra stopped mid sentence because an immensely sharp and terrible pain had just pierced her right side. 

She looked down to see a black fletched arrow sticking out from her. 

Catra looked back up into the shocked, lovely face of the stupid perfect woman. 

"Fuck." Catra said. "That's what I fucking get." 

She tried to roll her eyes, but they were already rolling into the back of her head from the Horde poison on the arrow tip.


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora meet properly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i'm not sure where this is going, i'm just writing it for fun. if you have any suggestions feel free to comment! as of right now i'm going to try to upload at least once a week

Catra was warm, wrapped up in something delicious and soft. A gentle chime was twinkling somewhere away from her. It was pleasant. So pleasant, in fact, that Catra immediately knew something was wrong. 

A good morning to Catra smelled like the slime coming off the wharf in the slums where she lived. It sounded like the creak of her threadbare bed. Discomfort was such a huge part of her life that when she felt the bed beneath her cradling her sore body, her eyes snapped open and she vaulted out from beneath the covers.

Or rather, she would have vaulted, if a sudden pain had not shot through her side and brought her attention to the bandages that wrapped her midriff. 

The jolt to her senses brought back the memory of the night before, and Catra groaned at her rash action. How could she betray herself like that? Was one otherworldly woman all it took for her to completely lose her senses? 

Apparently, if the dull ache in her side was anything to go on. 

Speaking of otherworldly…. Catra thought as she took in her surroundings. She was in some kind of domed tent that was made of a bright periwinkle material. There was a chandelier of sorts, hanging down and emitting a soft white light whose source Catra could not see. The air not only smelled fresh, but it carried on its breezes the perfume of a springtime dawn. 

Catra got up and peered out the little flap of cloth that covered the door. Swaths of vibrant green grass and dappled sunlight from the surrounding woodland met her eyes. In front of the tent was a girl who looked about her age, sitting on the ground and facing away from her. 

The girl was in what appeared to be a tight, white uniform. She didn’t look armoured and in fact, didn’t even look cautious. She had her knees folded up to her chin, and seemed to be listening to the singing of the forest birds. 

Catra’s hands went to her hips, and not finding her weapons there, narrowed her eyes at who she could only assume was her guard. Catra knew her claws were enough to defend herself but hated to use them. She began to calculate how successfully she would be able to sneak away. 

Before she could make a move, however, the girl turned around and caught sight of Catra. They both started a bit in surprise, just looking at each other for what seemed to be a long moment. 

The girl was pretty in a plain way. Her hair wasn’t quite blonde, but was decidedly more blonde then brunette. Her face was round and open, and her eyes were a shade between grey and blue. Over all, she reminded Catra of the honey-glazed buns that sat in the bakery shop window near her home, which were a favorite of Catra’s but almost always out of her price range. 

“Hey.” said the girl, rising to stand. “You’re awake.” 

“I am.” replied Catra cautiously, stepping out from behind the curtain. 

Standing in front of the girl, Catra was struck by how fantastically muscled the girl was in comparison to herself. She was strong in a way that spoke of intense training and lots of heavy lifting. Catra knew that any advantages her natural agility and slight height gave would be quickly overcome in a hand-to-hand combat situation.

“I’m Adora.” said the girl. “I just wanted to thank you for saving me.” 

Catra could barely see the resemblance between this girl and the blazing warrior of the night before. Adora smiled and held out her hand. 

“Yeah. well.” Catra didn’t take it. “I was hired to kill you.” 

“Oh, I know.” Adora said, her smile shifting. “You can try, if you like.” 

Adora did not change her stance, except to draw her hand back to her side. 

Catra felt patronized. “You really don’t want to underestimate me.I could kill you where you stand.” 

“I’m sure you could.” Adora’s tone was downright dismissive. Her friendly expression made her complete lack of fear obvious. 

Catra hated it. Everybody feared Catra.Who was this bitch? Catra wanted to wipe the smile off of her face, but her friendliness was disarming. Besides, Catra was injured and didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

“My name is Catra.” Catra hissed. “Not that you asked.” 

“Alright, Catra.” Adora nodded in a way that said she was committing Catra’s name to memory. “So, what’s the reward if you kill me?” 

Catra crossed her arms. “A potion.” 

Adora raised an eyebrow. “Wow, I’m not even worth money?” 

“The potion is better then money.” Catra tossed in a disdainful sniff.”Not that an Etherian like you would understand.” 

Adora put a hand on her hip. “I’m actually not Etherian.”   
Catra didn’t let her surprise show. She wanted to ask, but before she could put together a question that was equal parts inquisitive and demeaning Adora was already taking advantage of her silence. 

“What’s the potion for?” Adora asked. 

“Like I would tell you.” Catra spit back. 

“I’m the person you should tell! You want to trade my life for it!” Adora sounded earnest but Catra couldn’t shake the feeling that she was teasing her somewhere underneath.

“Where are we?” Catra decided to change the subject. 

Adora shook a finger at her. “Now, now ,I can’t give secrets away to my enemy.” 

Catra wished she knew where her knife was. 

“In any case, we aren’t really anywhere. Just camped out in the woods for right now.” Adora shrugged like she wasn’t being completely infuriating. 

“Fine.” Catra said through gritted teeth. “Then can you tell me why you decided to take me with you?” 

“Well, Those military guys seemed unforgiving. Also, you got hurt because of me so it’s only right.” Adora’s eyes never wavered from Catra’s. 

“I got hurt because of me.” Catra said. “Are you an idiot? It was my decision. You had nothing to do with it.” 

The pair looked at each other. A bird chirped somewhere in the foliage overhead. Catra was already exhausted and wanted to go lay down. 

“What’s the potion for?” Adora asked again. 

Catra sighed. “It will reverse my Beastly birth defects.” 

For the first time, something like surprise crossed Adora’s face. “Why would you want to do that?” 

“Of course you don’t get it.” Catra felt disgusted. “Being Beastly...it damns you, you know?” 

Adora said nothing, just stared at Catra with those wide, earnest eyes. Catra remembered that Adora was a stranger.   
Catra turned around and went back in the tent. If she was going to be a prisoner, she didn’t have to deal with contempt, least of all from her guard. 

She needed a nap anyway.


End file.
